Tray for producing photocopies



June 27, 1961 K. R. REICK TRAY FOR PRODUCING PHOTOCOPIES rk 4a .m e UP vb pd TM 0- T K H w it? 321;: E a a 5 9 w e Lnx Unite tates The present invention relates to improvements in apparatus for producing photocopies, and more particularly concerns a novel developer tray construction and related structure.

Direct contact photocopies are produced by exposing light of suitable intensity through a sheet having thereon the original material to be reproduced, while the face of the sheet bearing such original is in direct contact with a light sensitive surface or emulsion on a negative sheet. Thereafter the negative sheet and a positive sheet are passed through a developer bath and a suitably sensitized face of the positive sheet is brought into direct engagement with the exposed light sensitive face of the negative sheet, so that by action of the developer solution upon the respective sensitized emulsion surfaces of the juxtaposed faces, a positive transfer of the image from the negative sheet to the positive sheet takes place. Finally, surplus developer solution is squeezed from the sheets while in the laminar relation and upon separation a positive image is apparent upon the sensitized or emulsion face of the positive sheet.

Prior apparatus for effecting development and transfer from negative to positive has often been rather cumbersome and inefficient and expensive not only in structure, but also to operate.

An important object of the present invention is to provide a tray and related structure for producing photocopies, comprising a compact arrangement of parts, rugged structure, light in weight, low in cost of manufacture and highly efiicient in operation.

Another object of the invention is to substantially improve the efliciency and economy of developing photocopies by the provision of a novel developer tray construction adapted to function with an unusually small quantity of developer solution, thereby minimizing losses from deterioration from exposure to air, evaporation and the like.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved photocopy developer tray structure which is especially adapted to be made from lightweight synthetic plastic material.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a novel photocopy developer tray and separator guide structure wherein the separator guides are easily removable and replaceable for cleaning and the like.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a novel tray wall construction for photocopy developing having an improved structure for preventing sticking of wet sheets to the opposed guide surface areas of the tray as the sheets are passed through the developer solution in the tray.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved coactive relationship of photocopy developer tray and squeeze rolls for highly efficient feeding of the photocopy sheets from the tray into the feed rolls.

A yet further object of the invention is to provide a novel cooperative relationship between a removable developer tray and a squeeze roller supporting housing.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a photo-copy developer tray assembly embodying features of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmental transverse sectional elevational detail view of the tray assembly of FIGUREI, taken substantially on the line IIII of FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional detail view through a portion of a photocopy machine showing a sectional detail view of the developer tray assembly taken substantially on the line IIIIII of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional detail view taken substantially on the line IV-IV of FIG- URE l.

A photocopy developing tray assembly 5 is constructed and arranged to enable all components thereof to be made from suitable types of synthetic plastic materials. As the principal component of the tray assembly is the tray structure itself which in a highly desirable form comprises a one-piece molded unit made from thin, lightweight form sustaining material shaped to provide a receptacle portion 7 of arcuate front to rear shape on a radius which will efficiently accommodate photocopy papers to be manipulated therethrough, and having respective opposite end walls 8 which are spaced apart sufficiently to afford adequate clearance for the maximum width of photocopy papers to be accommodated. Stable support for the receptacle 7 is afforded by a skirt-like generally upright, entirely encompassing, circumferentially continuous supporting flange wall 9 of slightly greater width than the depth of the receptacle 7 and having a lower edge 10 to rest upon a supporting surface. -At the top of the tray, a reinforcing rib-like turned juncture 11 substantially rigidly connects the receptacle 7 including the end walls 8 thereof to the top of the supporting wall flange 9. Stiffness and stability of the tray are enhanced by the flaring disposition of the several panels comprising the generally rectangular outline or perimeter defining the skirt flange supporting wall 9, and the rib-like angular corner junctures of the panels identified at 12.

Further substantial reinforcement and stiffening of the tray receptacle 7 is afforded by a series of raised ribs 13 transversely spaced and extending preferably substantially throughout the length of the arcuate receptacle wall. At their upper ends the ribs 13 merge as best seen in FIG. 3 on rounded terminal respective junctures 14 with the top edge structure 11 of the tray unit. On at least their crests, the ribs 13 are transversely rounded so as to provide smooth, limited contact longitudinal surfaces for photocopy papers passed through the receptacle 7 for thereby maintaining such papers generally spaced from the opposing surface of the receptacle 7.

Adjacent to its front side, the receptacle 7 is provided with means for guiding a plurality of photocopy papers into the recess or pit of the receptacle 7 in appropriately spaced relation. To this end, a set of spaced guide separator panel bars 15 is provided, herein comprising three elongated panels of graduated width, the narrowest being 15a, the intermediate width being 15b and the widest being 150. These separators are preferably made from a suitable synthetic plastic material which is thicker in section than the material of the tray itself so as to be adequately form sustaining in the flat relatively narrow panel form of the separators.

Construction and relationship of the guide separators 1'5 with respect to the receptacle 7 is such as to afford three more or less slot-like passages down into the front portion of the receptacle. To this end, the guide separator 15a is constructed as relatively the narrowest and is mounted in assembly in a preferably vertical position adjacent to the upstanding front wall portion of the receptacle 7 and spaced from the crests of the ribs 13 a predetermined distance to afford a slot-like passage therewith through which a photocopy paper can be guidedly inserted into the receptacle 7. The narrow Width of the guide separator a is predetermined to locate the upper preferably straight edge adjacent to the plane across the top of the juncture rib 11 of the tray, while the lower preferably straight edge of the separator 15a is disposed in the predetermined slot spacing relative to the adjacent crown portions of the ribs 13 which extend arcuately down and rearwardly under such lower edge.

To similar effect, the guide separator 15b is mounted in rearwardly spaced parallel relation adjacent to the separator 15a in the predetermined guide slot spacing. At its upper preferably straight edge the separator 15b is arranged to lie coextensive with the narrow separator 1544, while the lower edge of the separator 15!) is arranged to extend to a graduated greater depth into the receptacle 7 to approach the underlying portions of the crests of the ribs 13 in adequate spaced relation for paper clearance thereunder, such spaced relation for practical purposes being about the same as the general slot width. It Will be observed that the separator 15b is sufliciently wider than the separator 15a to give effect to the relationships described.

Similarly, the guide separator 15c is wider than the separator 15]), is mounted in parallel rearwardly spaced relation in the predetermined guide slot spacing and has the lower preferably straight edge located in graduated lower elevational relation relative to the lower edge of the separator 15b to alford substantially the same gap relationship to the crests of the ribs 13, namely about the same spacing as the guide slot width. At its upper preferably straight edge, however, the separator 150 is preferably disposed at a somewhat higher elevation than the upper edges of the separator panels 15a and b, for a purpose which will presently be more fully described.

While if preferred the separator panels 15 may be permanently aflixed to the side walls 8 of the tray structure, the separator panels are in a practical form mounted for ready sliding assembly and separation not only to facilitate assembly but also to enable ready cleaning of the tray receptacle 7 and the separators. For this purpose, the separators 15 are of slightly greater length than the space between the side Walls 8 and the side walls are provided with means for slidably receiving the separators in assembly. Such means comprise a complementary opposed, coextensive pair of inwardly opening substantially vertical grooves 17 formed in the respective side walls 8, blind ended at the bottom and running out at the top extremities of the side walls 8, for slidably receiving and retaining the respective opposite ends of the separator 15a. Similar grooves 18 are provided for receiving and retaining the separator 15b, while similar grooves 19 slidably receive and retain the separator 150. The respective grooves 17, 18 and 19 are, of course, of graduated length corresponding to the graduated width of the respective separators 15. Insertion, retention, and removal of the several separators 15 with respect to their receiving and retaining grooves is substantially facilitated by a convergently downwardly biased relationship of the end edges of the several separators 15 and the respective receiving grooves therefor, with sufficient obliquity in the respective diagonal angles to enable quick removal and insertion but nevertheless reasonably firm frictional interengagement of the separator edges within the grooves in the assembly. On comparison of the full and dash outline positions of the separator 150 in FIGURE 2, this relationship will be readily appreciated. Substantially greater tolerances are permitted by this biased end and groove assembly structure.

In use the tray 5 is removably assembled with apparatus 20 including a pair of coactive oppositely driven resilient surfaced squeeze rolls 21 and 22 mounted with the nips horizontal and the entry bight opening downwardly in sufiiciently spaced relation above a supporting platform plate 23 to receive the rear portion of the tray 5 thereunder. A protective casing or housing 24 may be carried by the platform 23 to enclose the working space over and below the rolls 21 and 22 and into which the tray 5 is received, an exit slot 25 being provided in the top of the casing 2 4 aligned with the exit bight of the squeeze rolls 21 and 22.

In mounting the tray 5 within the apparatus 20, a front door 27, mounted by means of a hinge 28 along the lower front edge of the supporting platform 23, is swung open and the tray 5 inserted into the working space therefor under the squeeze rolls 21 and 22. A predetermined position of the rear portion of the tray 5 under the squeeze rolls is defined by stop means such as one or more angle stop members 29 mounted at the proper location upon the supporting base platform 23 and engageable by the lower margin of the rear portion of the supporting skirt wall 9 of the tray. In this predetermined position, the upper upstanding edge of the separator is located immediately under the edge defining the rear of an access opening 30 in the top of the housing 24 to clear the forward portion of the receptacle 7 so that free entry may be had into the photocopy paper slots defined by the separators 15.

Before or after the tray 5 is mounted within the apparatus 20, a supply of developer solution 31 (FIG. 3) is filled into the receptable 7. In a practical form, as little as a pint of the developer solution will sufiice for operation. Photocopy papers 32 and 33, first coextensively assembled with the sensitized face of the transfer paper opposed to the exposed sensitized face of the negative paper are then inserted with their leading ends separated and extending into respective ones of the guide slots provided by the separators 15 and pushed manually into the developer solution 31 within the receptacle 7. By virtue of the guide separators 15 extending down into the body of developer solution 31 into limited spaced relation to the curved crests of the ribs 13, the photocopy papers are positively guided into the lowermost or deepest part of the receptacle 7 onto the crests of the ribs 13 and in the continued downward thrusting upon the papers the leading ends are guided by the curved rib crests rearwardly and then upwardly therealong until the leading ends of the papers emerge from the developer solution and move toward the squeeze rolls 21 and 22.

Initially, the leading ends of the wet laminar photo papers upon emerging from the developer solution 31 tend to bend from the upwardly curcved relation imposed by the ribs 13 into a rearwardly directed more or less sagging relationship as generally depicted in dash outline in FIGURE 3. Sagging is substantially limited, however, by the more or less clinging of the wet sensitized juxtaposed emulsion surfaces of the papers so that the leading extremities of the papers move upwardly into the entry bight of the squeeze rolls 21 and 22 which are actuated (by means not shown) to rotate in the direction of the directional arrows with the nips moving upwardly so as to engage and pull the photocopy papers upwardly while squeezing the same substantially dry of developer solution and ejecting the papers through the exit slot 25. Entry of the leading edges of the photocopy papers into the entry bight of the rolls .21 and 22 is facilitated by having the rear, receptacle reservoir exit ends of the ribs 13 disposed sufficiently forwardly under the forwardmost squeeze roll 22 so that as the photocopy papers are pushed to thus bring the leading edges thereof toward the rolls, rearward tilting or sagging of the leading edges is compensated to bring the same as directly as practicable into the nip of the rolls. Immediately upon engagement of the photopapers by the squeeze rolls 21 and 22, further movement of the photo papers through the developer bath is automatically at a uniform rate governed by the speed of rotation of the squeeze rolls.

In order to collect excess developer solution that may drip down from the rear side of the photocopy paper laminate progressing through the squeeze rolls 21 and 22, and from the squeeze roll 21, a forwardly and downwardly sloping runback surface ledge 34 is provided on the rear transverse portion of the upper reinforcing juncture rib 11, afforded by a widening of said rib between the rear portion of the supporting skirt flange 9 and the receptacle 7 and merging at the forward lower extremity of the runback flange portion 34 with the upper rear extremity of the curved wall of the receptacle 7.

While in FIGURE 3 only the two photocopy papers 32 and 33 are shown, thus using only two of the guide slots, it will be appreciated that where the forwardmost photocopy paper 32 comprises a double sided negative, a third paper comprising a second transfer paper will be assembled with the remaining side of the negative paper and in eifecting development all three of the guide slots will be utilized, with. each of the papers projected down through a respective one of the slots provided by the separators 15.

As the photocopy papers move down through the guide slots and are thoroughly wetted by the developer solution 31, the paper that is lowermost in the receptacle 7 is positively held against contact with the surface of the receptacle execept for the limited, virtually line contact afforded by the crests of the spacer ribs 13. Thus, clinging of the face of the paper opposed to the wall surface of the receptacle 7, and thus obstruction of movement of the papers through the receptacle is avoided.

As more of the developer solution 31 is needed, more can be easily poured into the receptacle '7 at the front of the tray 5, if desired by opening the door 27 for more ready access to the upper front rim of the tray.

Should it become desirable to clean the tray and more particularly the receptacle 7 and the separators 15, that can be easily accomplished by withdrawing the tray from the apparatus 20 for this purpose. After removal of the tray 5, the rolls 21 and 22 are also readily accessible for cleaning.

It will be understood that modifications and variations may be effected without departing from the scope of the novel concepts of the present invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a photo developer tray structure, a supporting upstanding skirt flange with an upper reinforcing rib rim entirely thereabout leading into a receptacle depressed within and surrounded in spaced relation by the supporting skirt flange and having a generally arcuate wall in a front to rear direction and generally flat end walls all spaced from said supporting skirt flange at the front and rear and sides of the skirt flange, said arcuate wall having a transversely spaced series of front to rear upwardly projecting arcuate reinforcing and spacer rib embossments therein merging at their upper ends into said 2. In a photo developer tray structure, a supporting upstanding skirt flange with an upper reinforcing rib rim entirely thereabout leading into a receptacle depressed Within and surrounded in spaced relation by the supporting skirt flange and having a generally arcuate wall in a front to rear direction and generally flat end walls all spaced from said supporting skirt flange at the front and rear and sides of the skirt flange, said end walls having a series of generally vertical complementary opposed grooves therein open at the top and blind ended at their lower ends and slidably receptive of guide slot separators.

3. In a photo developer tray structure, a supporting upstanding skirt flange with an upper edge reinforcing rib rim entirely thereabout leading into a receptacle depressed vvithin and surrounded in spaced relation by the supporting skirt flange and having a generally arcuate wall in a front to rear direction and generally flat end Walls all spaced from said supporting skirt flange at the front and rear and sides of the skirt flange, the rear portion of said rim being substantially wider than the remainder of the rim and providing a downwardly and forwardly sloping runback flange surface merging from the top of the rim into the rear end portion of said curved receptacle wall.

4. In a photocopy developer tray construction, means providing a receptacle having a generally arcuate wall in front to rear section and substantially elongated from side-to-side with upright walls closing the sides of the receptacle, ,said upright walls having a plurality of grooves facing inwardly extending up and down and running out at the top of said walls and blind ended at their lower ends, and respective separator panels slidably engaged for vertical insertion and removal and retained at their ends within said grooves.

5. In a photocopy developer tray construction, means providing a receptacle having a generally arcuate wall in front to rear section and substantially elongated from side-to-side with upright walls closing the sides of the receptacle, said upright walls having a plurality of grooves facing inwardly extending up and down and running out at the top of said walls and blind ended at their lower ends, and respective separator panels slidably engaged for vertical insertion and removal and retained at their ends within said grooves, said grooves having the walls thereof sloping obliquely downwardly and inwardly and the ends of said panels being conformed as to the oblique angle for fitting into said grooves.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,001,019 Greene Aug. 22, 1911 1,001,020 Greene Aug. 22, 1911 2,657,618 Eisbein Nov. 3, 1953 2,666,384 Yutzy et al Jan. 19, 1954 2,742,838 Paulas Apr. 24, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 848,013 Germany Dec. 11, 1952 156,393 Australia May 7, 1954 1,105,003 France June 22, 1955 1,105,023 France June 22, 1955 1,110,571 France Oct. 12, 1955 316,178 Switzerland Nov. 15, 1956 762,501 Great Britain Nov. 28, 1956 1,140,562 France Mar. 4, 1957 

